Roses are practically the official flower of Valentine’s Day, so why not make it into a dessert? These rose macarons feature rose syrup (you could also use rose essence) in the frosting, which is available at most Middle Eastern grocery stores and online. Whether you’re single or in a relationship this February 14th, these French macarons are sure to be your valentine.
Rose Macarons
Ingredients
Instructions
Using a digital scale, measure out 117 grams of powdered sugar and 71 grams of almond flour and add it to a food processor or a separate bowl. If using a food processor, pulse until everything is sifted together. If using only a sieve, sift everything through 3 times. When there’s just under 2 tablespoons left, discard those 2 tablespoons.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. For the cookie batter, wipe down your bowl with vinegar or lemon juice to ensure there is no fat or oil anywhere on the bowl. Then, add 2 aged egg whites, around 90 grams. To age your egg whites, make sure the bowl they are ageing in is also wiped down with vinegar or lemon juice. Separate the eggs, cover the whites with plastic wrap, poke some holes in it, and keep it in the refrigerator for 24 hours (and up to a week). Make sure the egg whites are room temperature before using, as they gain more volume at room temperature.
Add 53 grams of granulated sugar, and stir it with the whisk attachment before letting the stand mixer do the rest of the work.
Whisk the egg whites and sugar at medium speed for 2 minutes. Then, increase the speed to medium high and whisk for another 2 minutes. Finally, increase the speed to high and whisk for another 2 minutes until stiff peaks form.
Add the almond flour and powdered sugar mixture to the merengue, and using a rubber spatula, fold it into the egg whites in the technique called macronage. Go around the sides and through the middle and repeat 30 times. The proper texture should be like lava and fall in ribbons, sinking back into the rest of the batter after around 10 seconds. If it doesn’t have this texture, continue the macronage until it does.
Transfer the batter to a piping bag with a ¾ inch round tip. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (this is very important, as no fats or oils should touch the cookies, so never use cooking spray), and to secure the parchment paper, pipe a small amount of batter on each corner and press down with the parchment paper. Pipe the batter in rounds ¾ inch in diameter, an inch apart on the baking sheet.
Tap the baking sheet against the counter 3 times, releasing any air bubbles. If the batter isn’t flat, flatten any points before baking. Bake at 350°F for 13 minutes, turning the sheet halfway through. Most recipes require the cookies to sit for at least 30 minutes, but with this recipe they can go right into the oven.
After taking the cookies out of the oven, let them cool completely and don’t touch them for at least 10 minutes, as they are very fragile.
To make the frosting, cream one stick of butter. Slowly add the sifted 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with the mixer on its lowest setting. Add the vanilla and milk, then add rose syrup to taste. Rose syrup is very concentrated, so be careful when adding it. Taste as you go, and add less than you think you’ll need, as the flavors are stronger when you pipe on the frosting. Continue to beat the frosting until it reaches a desired texture, adding small amounts of milk if needed. Transfer to a piping bag with a small star tip. If you don’t have a star tip, you can use any small tip or no tip at all.
Using an offset spatula or a palette knife, gently slide under the cookies. They should come off easily. Pipe the buttercream onto a cookie, then sandwich it with another cookie. If you’d like, pipe a small swirl on the top for decoration.
These macarons will keep for 3-5 days in the refrigerator as long as they’re sandwiched, and will get an even softer texture. Enjoy!